Brush fire burns 200 acres in McHenry

Fire crews were dispatched to the 1000 block of Lincoln Road at 4:43 p.m. for an unattended burn pile in the area of Cuhlman and Bay roads that quickly got out of control.

The fire burned about 200 acres, Lt. David Harwood of McHenry Fire Protection District said. No structures caught fire.

“It was substantial,” Harwood said. “But the crews did an awesome job. They probably ended up saving another 1,000 acres that did not burn.”

Because of the rough and swampy terrain, brush trucks could not access the blaze. Firefighters had to carry hand tools and 10- to 15-gallon pump cans on foot or with all-terrain vehicles.

No injuries were reported.

Firefighters were on scene until 7:34 p.m.

It was unclear whether the unidentified homeowner with the burn pile would be cited. If the pile was outside of the county’s burning ordinance, citations would come from the McHenry County Department of Health, Harwood said.